DARREN MACKIE is snubbing a move to Dundee because he wants to end his Aberdeen career as a winner.

Although the transfer window has closed, First Division clubs can sign players on short-term deals – and Dens boss Barry Smith wanted the striker to fire their promotion push.

But the 30-year-old, a fringe player who hasn’t been offered a new deal by Dons boss Craig Brown, says he’s staying to help win the Scottish Cup.

The longest-serving Don, having made more than 300 appearances, is keen to lift a trophy with his hometown team in his testimonial year before moving on.

He said: “I was flattered to get Dundee’s offer and obviously my contract is coming to an end but if I don’t get a new one here then I want the chance to end my time at Pittodrie by winning a trophy.

“It’s been so long since we won a cup so to do that as an Aberdeen player would mean everything to me. I’m a life-long Dons fan and know how much it means to all the fans to win a trophy again after all these years. As long as I’ve been at Aberdeen I’ve wanted to bring silverware to the club and the chance is still there to do that.

“I was in the stands watching the last time we were in the final but I was just breaking through to the first team and wasn’t involved.

“The perfect way to round off my testimonial year would be lifting the Cup at Hampden.

“I am just as determined as ever to force my way back into the side and finish the season on a high.”

The Dons will tomorrow host Queen of the South, the team that beat them in a 2008 semi-final.

Mackie said: “That was one of the biggest blows of my entire career as it was a massive chance to get to a final. It’s a warning that we can’t let our standards slip.”